Psalm 101

O Lord, hear my prayer; may my cry reach You. Do not turn Your face away from me during my trials; listen to me when I call upon You. Answer me swiftly when I seek You. My days have faded like smoke, and my bones are as dry as firewood. I am beaten down like grass, my heart parched because I forgot to eat my food. The sound of my groans has made my bones cling to my flesh. I have become like a pelican in the wilderness, like a solitary owl. I watch, like a lonely sparrow on the rooftop. My enemies mock me all day long; those who call themselves my friends curse me. I have consumed ashes instead of bread and mixed my drink with tears, overwhelmed by Your anger and fury, for after You lifted me up, You have cast me down. My days have dwindled like a shadow, and I wither like grass. Yet, You, O Lord, endure forever, and Your name persists throughout all generations. You will rise to show mercy to Zion; the time to show compassion has come, for the appointed moment has arrived. The stones of Zion delight Your servants, and they will have mercy on its dust. The nations will revere Your name, O Lord, and all the kings of the earth shall behold Your glory. For You have restored Zion, and Your glory will be revealed. You regard the prayers of the humble and do not disregard their requests. May these words be recorded for future generations; the people yet to be created will praise the Lord, for He gazes from His heavenly sanctuary; He observes the earth. He hears the moans of the captives and frees the children of the slain. They will proclaim the name of the Lord in Zion and praise Him in Jerusalem when the multitudes gather and kings come to worship the Lord. He answered him with His mighty strength: Show me the brevity of my days. Do not take me away in the middle of my life; Your years endure through all generations. In the beginning, O Lord, You laid the foundations of the earth; the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You remain; they will wear out like old clothing. Like a robe, You will change them, and they shall be altered. But You are the same, and Your years will never end. The children of Your servants will endure, and their descendants will be established forever. Glory be to the Father...